The Warring Guilds
by altori
Summary: Natsu and Gray both left Fairy Tail to found their own guilds. They became known as the warring guilds. Day after day they fight, bearing the title and burden of "Master." Until tragedy strikes. Rated T for violence and kind of language.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **

Because I need to finish my homework, I'm uploading this! I don't own Fairy Tail. Please read. And reviews are appreciated. 

"Oi, you bastard, picking a fight with me hah?!"

"What was that, flame-brain? _You_ wouldn't even know if someone was trying to fight or talk!"

"I don't want to be told that by you, stripper!"

"What'd you call me, HUH?!"

"Stupid, idiotic stripper!"

"DIE!"

_July 7, X800_

_The Fiore Kingdom. A neutral country with a population of 17 million. It is a world of magic. Magic is bought and sold there like anything else, and is deeply ingrained in the people's lives. There are even some who make a living using magic. These people are referred to as wizards. These wizards belong to many different guilds and accept jobs brought to them. There are many guilds in this kingdom, and there's a certain wizard guild in a certain town… A guild from which countless legends were once born—nay one that will continue to create legends well into the future. Its name… _

"Bastard. You have some arrogance, injuring a member of my guild."

"Don't go scooting your fiery butt in the way of every one of our jobs!"

Two men stood, glaring at each other. Behind each stood a crowd of rowdy mages. The citizens of the town had long since fled the area. Crowds of mages flooded the streets as they shouted and taunted each other, nearly at each other's necks. Soft flashes of different colored light shone from the crowd as wizards on both sides activated their magic. But even though they had converged to almost one, there was a thin line separating the two. And even though they itched to launch themselves at the nearest enemy, no one landed a single blow. Each and every mage was merely waiting.

The two men stood within centimeters of each other now, pure rage upon their faces. And it wasn't a basic heat of the moment rage, but hatred ingrained deeply inside of them from the very first time they laid eyes upon each other. Head bowed, the dark-haired figure slowly drew his right fist to the palm of his left hand, the tip of his left pinky just barely brushing against his hip. In response, the pink-haired figure drew back his right fist, flame encircling it. The two's gazes met for an instant. At the exact same moment, they each started moving, he with his flames and he with his ice. A moment later, the two crowds surged together. All hell broke loose.

The first blow was dealt.

_Fairy Tail. But the great legend of Fairy Tail has passed and the once great guild has been torn apart by time and its greatest domestic rivalry. The 3__rd__ and 6__th__ master of Fairy Tail was finally forced to retire from age and sickness. The new 7__th__ master is the great Titania, Erza Scarlet. The other two members of Fairy Tail's strongest team left the guild and all their friends behind to become the founders and masters of two new guilds: Fiarsin and Railt. The warring guilds._

"The warring guilds again?"

"Yeah, this time they really did a lot of damage to the town."

"The road has been completely destroyed."

"My shop was demolished too!"

"What's the Magic Council doing?"

"I've heard even the Magic Council can't do anything about them."

"Eh? Really? Are they that powerful?"

"Yeah, yeah! It's a miracle this town is still standing."

"Hey, both the masters are from Fairy Tail. What's Fairy Tail doing about this?"

"God knows, it doesn't look like they've been doing much."

"Well, either way, having three guilds in one city is just too much."

"I wonder how much longer this city is going to last."

_Gray Fullbuster, master of Railt, wielder of Ice Make Magic. He was the first of the two to leave. Unable to stand his rival any longer, he created his own guild for peace. Mages soon flocked to his guild, eager for his power. Railt soon became one of the strongest guilds in all of Fiore, second to only Fairy Tail. Gray Fullbuster became a legend. But that was when Magnolia was still at peace._

"Oi, you okay?" The raven-haired man rushed hurriedly between mages. They had returned to their guild after the battle having dealt severe damage, but receiving even more. He himself was heavily bandaged, his bandages already stained red. But no one doubted nor tried to stop the concern he had for the rest of his guild.

"Yeah… I'm okay. It doesn't hurt that bad…" The young mage broke off, wincing as he swayed, the world turning fuzzy and dark. Gray quickly caught the mage, helping support him as he stumbled to a bench.

"You should be resting. These are some serious injuries," Gray murmured as he quickly set to work having picked up some skill in the medical field in the past years.

"You too… Master," the wizard choked out, wincing as Gray tended his wounds.

"Idiot. This is what I'm here for." Gray soon finished and stared down at the wizard. He was furious. But deep down, he also regretted. Why had he gotten so many people involved? This was just a trivial fight between him and Natsu that had gone on for years and years. But now it had turned to war.

"Your shirt, Master," the wizard smiled as he whispered the words. Stiffly, he raised a hand and brushed his fingers against Gray's bare chest where Railt's guild mark stood proudly. Gray smiled softly but painfully back. He gently took the man's hand and squeezed it softly in anger before setting it down on the bench.

_As retaliation against the threat Railt proved to Fairy Tail, Natsu left Fairy Tail as well. He started Fiarsin and became a widely known Master. He gathered together a strong guild united by the bonds of friendship and family. Truly, it was a second Fairy Tail. But its goal wasn't just to become strong but to become stronger than Railt. An encounter during a job was all that was needed for the fighting to start again. And Magnolia was thrown into chaos. _

"That bastard, Gray!" Natsu howled. He glared around at all his injured guildsmen. Even injured, they cheered energetically with him. By now, injuries had been tended to and everyone was simply relaxing and recovering in the guild.

As he glanced about, Natsu felt the responsibility of a guild master. Every single death, his fault. Every single broken bone his fault. Every single wound, his fault. Every single drop of blood, his fault. This was what it meant bearing the name of "Master."

"We'll get him back for this!" Natsu howled at the ceiling of his guild. A roar of fire shot up and spread out under the ceiling. The stone resisted his fiery rage. Pained chuckles spread throughout the guild.

"Yeah!" They cheered again in a more playful manner. Even after all this time, he hadn't lost his robust, fiery nature. Even with the responsibility of a guild upon his shoulders, he was still as carefree as ever. Yet sometimes, he felt the overwhelming pressure. And sometimes, especially at times like this, it overwhelmed him.

He stood, glaring in the direction of Railt. And as if feeling his gaze, Gray glared back. Despite the distance that separated them, they could feel each other's rage. Despite everything obstructing their view of each other, they could practically see each other.

Surely, not a single bond was greater.

_They fight, Flame and Ice._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

Second chapterrr! Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. Please read! And review. That would be much appreciated~

"Gray, you bastard!" Natsu shrieked in fury, "I thought I'd told you to never touch my guild again!"

"Blaming me again? It was your guild who made the first move!" He yelled in response. **Sometimes I just want to stop. **

"My guild would never do such a thing!" Natsu growled at the insult.

"Ah, is that so? Then I think you'd better take another look at your guild!" **What's the point of a petty battle like this? Hurting so many people, damaging so much. What does it all lead to? **

"I don't need to. These bonds connecting us are stronger than any in your guild!"

"Heh, then I don't give a damn about what you think." **Nothing. Nothing at all. So why do we fight? What is our purpose? What is the source of this unfounded hate? What can I do to relieve it? **

"BASTARD!" He came running with fist aflame. This was the start. This was how it always started. This was how it started all those years ago. And it was never the end.

He felt his fist meet ice. He melted the ice. Turning his body, he swung out a leg. It was blocked by an arm. He landed on the floor and rushed again. No theory, no tactics, no plan. Just rushing in head on, burning everything and anything that lay in his path. He would blaze a trail through the darkness. He would be the fiery end to Railt.

He retaliated with a punch. Missing, he now aimed with his ice lances. Again, missed. Again and again he tried. Again and again he failed. With little thought, he fought. Fist to fist. Magic to magic. Rage to rage. They flitted about, entwined in battle. He would be the one to still them. He would be the freezing end of Fiarsin.

They each stood panting, a few feet separating them. Neither was backing down. Both were standing strong.

"Heh… Look at what happened, you flame brain. It's my win." Gray spat the words, standing a little straighter as he stared down at his opponent.

Natsu looked up in surprise and surveyed the battlefield. The street was filled with rubble. A nearby shop had been completely destroyed. Most windows were no longer intact. But the battle had stopped. At the front lines, a mage had collapsed and was now coughing up blood. She was panting hard, unable to stand. Another came running towards her, shouting worriedly. Natsu stared in horror. His flames died out in an instant.

The mage noticed Natsu. Trying to smile, she opened her mouth to speak, "Ma… ster… I'm… fi—" She was interrupted as she coughed up more blood. She covered her mouth but blood seeped from between her fingers, dripping onto the cobblestone. Her eyes slowly darkened, losing the fire that had once burned so strongly in her eyes. Her body trembled as she tried to keep herself upright.

He stood motionless as he watched her sprawl onto the ground. He slowly turned to look around behind him. All he saw was dark red. Several lay sprawled and others were kneeling from injuries. He found not a single one unscathed.

He was the head, the bright red commander, burning through all that stood in his path. But behind him was nothing more than the dark crimson of blood. Of injury. Of death. Burning upon their faces was suffering. Beneath the fire was a cold understanding and maturity. Eventually taking over. And everything would end in ice.

Flames licked up his arms, slowly growing. Bursting out from his body were flames, dancing wildly. They whipped around his entire body, shooting up high into the sky. He straightened then turned back to face Railt. Tears flowed from his eyes but his face was of pure wrath.

"You bastard…" His voice was deep and low. It came out hoarse and raw with emotion. Yet the shirtless man stood his ground.

Sneering he stated calmly, "Oi, oi… You know attacking will instigate the fight again. How many more are you going to injure? How many more are you going to kill? Your own guildsmen that is." He strode up to the flaming man and reached out, grasping his vest. Instantly, the flames dispersed. "I've already told you," he whispered menacingly, staring into his rage filled eyes, "It's my win."

Natsu collapsed, several emotions dancing upon his face. Was he afraid? With a scoff he questioned himself again. Afraid of what? Of hurting Gray? Of winning? What were these tears for? The damage dealt to his guild? Or his loss? Squeezing his eyes shut, Natsu finally came to a conclusion. _I'm scared of facing him. These tears are tears of fear. I'm scared. Of fighting. Of taking responsibility. Of fighting him. Of losing everything precious to me. _

"It's our win!" Gray turned to face his guildsmen, raising his right fist grandly into the air to punctuate his statement. "Let's go!" Cheers of victory followed. Several cries rose into the air as they rejoiced. Smirking, Gray strode proudly and shirtless towards his guild. Cheers followed in his wake. But the master himself wasn't rejoicing. It wasn't as if his guild had gone without damage.

The path towards Railt was streaked with blood. His own clothes were smeared with blood. Among the cheering were feeble cries and tears. But he focused his eyes forward onto the guild symbol hanging from the balcony of his guild. He ignored the splashing of blood as he walked, he ignored the moans of pain. Today was victory. Today was happiness. Today he was not allowed to let this jubilance disappear from his face. Even as his heart cringed in pain, today there was no pain.

He was the head, frozen blue commander, freezing all that stood in his way. But behind him was nothing more than false joy masking pain. Masking tears. Masking anything and everything. Frozen upon their faces were smiles. Beneath the ice boiled anger and hatred. Eventually bursting out in a flourish. And everything would end in flames.

* * *

><p>"Yo, Natsu. Been a while huh? What's this, after being defeated are you going to come slinking to me for forgiveness? Or…" Gray leaned toward the pink haired man, staring him in the eye as malice danced upon his face, "Revenge?" Laughing, he leaned back and looked down upon the bowed head of Natsu. Glancing around he noticed that Fiarsin was quieter than usual. As if from intuition, Gray kept on taunting, "Ah, that's right. That mage of yours, how's she been?" When no response was given, the ice mage prodded on, "Has she die—" The man was interrupted by a sudden uppercut hitting him squarely in his jaw.<p>

Stumbling back, Gray glared at Natsu, true malice coursing over his face now. But he was startled when he saw tears streaming from Natsu's eyes. The hatred disappeared as he stumbled backward. The two master's eyes locked. One of hatred and pain, the other of uneasy fear. "N-no way… S-she can't have really d-died…" Gray broke into an uneasy chuckle.

"Bastard…" The voice was deep and quiet, hoarse from raw emotion. Gray froze. His eyes widened and his jaw fell as he understood the meaning behind the dragon slayer's word.

Not so long ago he had been rejoicing the injury of that mage. Now, he was aghast. This was all just a petty fight between two mages. No matter how many times they had claimed they would kill each other, death wasn't a part of their fight. It just wasn't.

Taking a breath, Natsu wiped away his tears. Glaring up at Gray, something changed on his face. The immature, straightforward rage he had always met was no longer there. Now there was cold anger, the anger of someone precious having been hurt. He wasn't just simply fighting anymore, he was fighting with a purpose soaked in blood and stained with death. There was an acuteness to his fighting that had never existed before.

He pushed back Gray, overpowering him. Struggling to keep up, Gray tried to match his level. Yet there was no way. He could only merely imagine death. And his opponent had seen Hell. A sudden punch to the gut caused the raven haired master to double over as he coughed. He stared at the cobblestone beneath him, eyes even wider in fear. This was the true rage of the Fire Dragon Slayer, Salamander. It wasn't the fiery fury he had encountered time after time. It was this cold burning wrath. There was truly no ice in his heart.

Glancing around, Gray suddenly realized that battle had once again broken out. Behind Natsu were only grim faces. Behind him, Gray realized he heard laughter and joy.

Railt. A guild of power. And that was all there was to it. They were fighters and they loved fighting. That was why they had joined. With a start, Gray realized what a terrible guild he had raised. Although powerful, they would never achieve the same level as Fiarsin.

* * *

><p>"Makarov, you should still be resting, you've only just recovered!"<p>

"No. I've let them fight for too long. I have to stop them."

"It's not your fault, Makarov! No one knew it would get this intense."

"It's my fault for not stopping Gray when this all started. I have to go. Right now… It hurts just to imagine what those kids are feeling right now. So, sorry. Just this once… I have to go to them. I can't just abandon my brats."

"…Be careful… Please, Master."

"Yeah, Erza. It's a promise."

* * *

><p>Gray slowly picked himself up, all emotion deserted from his face. Staring at Natsu, Gray flung his shirt into the frenzy roaring around them. Natsu tensed then shot a fist forward. Gray raised an arm to block. But neither punch nor block was followed through with. Both froze as a moan of pain wove its way through the crowd. And for an instant, their emotions matched identically as they stared into each other's eyes and saw their own emotions dancing upon the other's face. They feared. They feared, for they recognized that voice. And it was the one voice that they had never wanted to hear in pain.<p>

_Unable to understand their drastic other._


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**

Disclaimer: I don't' own Fairy Tail! Please read and review! Thanksss~

The door of Fiarsin creaked open. A sliver of light was cast upon the floor of the guild. Glancing up, the master slowly rose to a standing position. Holding his fists out defensively, he approached the door. A small figure moved to block some of the light. A single tear dropped, hitting the ground with a barely audible splash.

"Natsu…" Upon instant recognition of the voice, of the figure, he rushed forward, grasping the trembling blonde. "Natsu…!" Holding her face, he tilted it up towards him. Staring into her tear filled eyes, he waited in silence for the girl to continue. "Master… Master…" And already he was filled with dread. Eyes widening in shock, his other hand grasped tightly at her wrist. Deep inside, he already knew the next words she uttered. Of course he knew. "He's… He's in critical condition…Porlyusica said he could die at any time." Over and over in his brain, it echoed, die, die, die, die.

"Lucy…" Wrapping his arms around the girl, he leaned down and stared in shock. Even though he knew, even though he had seen it himself, even though he had heard the terrible cry of the previous Fairy Tail master, putting it into words had a much greater effect. It was real now.

* * *

><p>The door of Railt shattered. The entire guild looked up, leaping to their feet in surprise. Their master looked coldly up from his seat. Rising to his feet, he approached the figure advancing through the pieces of wood that had been their guild door.<p>

"Erza," he hissed, crossing his arms. What did she want? Coming to his guild, shattering his door, what was she doing? Rage boiled up within him. But in an instant, the fire of his rage froze. He stopped midstride. "Er…za…" he murmured in shock. Tears were running down her face. She held the halberd from the Nakagami Armor in her hand.

"Gray…" Upon the utterance of his name, Erza leaped, at Gray, rage and sorrow and pain and anger and sadness and confusion dancing upon her face. She missed by several feet. Stumbling back in surprise, Gray stared in horror at the new slash upon the floor of his guild.

"Hey, Erza!" he yelled, worried for his guild, but more so for himself.

"Gray you bastard!" Erza yelled, walking forward and reaching out and grabbing the collar of his shirt. The halberd made a terrible screeching noise as it was dragged across the stone floor. She glared at him, tear-stained face accusing.

In as quiet a voice as he had used for the longest time he could remember, he strangled out a "Y-yes?"

Shoving him away from her, Erza turned away, facing the pile of rubble previously known previously as the door of Railt. Stumbling, Gray stared after her as her brisk footsteps carried her away. And without looking back she said in a low voice, "Master was hurt. He might die." Falling to the ground, Gray sat and stared as the red haired girl disappeared in the distance.

* * *

><p>"Gray! I bet it was you!" the pink-haired howled accusingly.<p>

"Don't give me that shit! Fiarsin's the one who injured Master!" Gray roared back.

"Where's your proof?"  
>"Where's <em>your<em> proof, Flamebrain?"

The two guilds had once again come together. Wicked smiles danced, as they stared eagerly at their opponents. Half of them gave not a care about why they were actually gathered. After all Makarov had no meaning to them. It was a battle between their masters, but it was just a fight nonetheless. They were bound by love, bound by friendship, but the largest attraction of Fiarsin and Railt, by far was the bloodshed.

The two guilds were nearly at each other's necks, but they still gave the honor to their master. More like burden. The seconds ticked by as Gray and Natsu stared at each other. Emotions flashed across their faces. Upon the finish of their silent conversation, the two leaped at each other, one with ice in hand, the other with fire in hand. Water splashed.

"Gray-sama," a low voice murmured. In between flame and ice stood a thin sheet of water. Water dripped onto the floor, from her hands, and from her eyes. Slowly, Juvia drew in her arms, clasping them at her chest. Whirling, she turned to face Gray, staring him straight in the eye. "Gray-sama! Master is in critical condition, and all… All you can do is fight?" she burst out. She drew closer and closer to the man, eventually forcing him to take an uneasy step backwards. "That's all you ever been doing these past months! Fighting, fighting, fighting… What happened to you? What happened to Gray?" as she continued shouting, her voice grew louder in volume. But it also reached a cracking point. Her voice was hoarse with emotion. Tears were streaming down her face. Her body was trembling. The only thing that was holding her back from attacking the man was her love for him. Yet, she didn't love this fighting machine. She loved _Gray_.

"Juvia…" his voice started out quiet, yet as if out of instinct it rose in volume and intensity, "What are you talking about? Gray? I'm standing right in front of you! Or are you blind? Are all those tears blinding your vision?" He straightened. He was Gray Fullbuster, master of Railt, enemy of Natsu Dragneel. There was no need to fear this woman.

Juvia didn't respond. She stared in shock at his bare chest where the symbol of Railt was now stood. It was exactly where the Fairy Tail symbol had once been. "Heh, what's wrong? Crying too—"

His speech was cut off abruptly as a stream of fire shot just over his head, singeing the tips of his hair. "Gray you fucker!" a loud voice rang out. Immediately it fell silent. Power was flowing from the one who had just spoken. Fire raged from his entire body. Yet his eyes held water.

Startled, Gray froze, unsure as to what he should say in response. He shuddered involuntarily as Natsu let out a blood-curdling yell. Flames shot into the sky. Everyone within a thirty foot radius flinched from the heat. People were backing away, the less bold running in fear. But the raven-haired master could only stare in awe. Even though he was a mere five feet away from the rampant flames, he felt nothing at all, as if he was being protected… by something. Yet he saw nothing.

Starting to tremble, Gray's eyes widened, fear coursed through his body. Fear. How long it had been since he had last known that emotion. Yet here it was, strangling him again, as strong as ever as he gazed upon his enemy. It seemed as if he was exhausting all of his magic energy. Yet, why wasn't he stopping? He should have run out by now. He should have… but he had not. The flames were as vicious and lively as before.

Another shudder ran through his body as somewhere, the small thought wormed into his mind, I have been fighting this? _This_? But he had never been this strong. And it dawned on him. This was the true power of a Dragon Slayer. Unleashed, with no limits, this was the true strength of the man known as the master of Fiarsin. The true strength of the man he claimed his enemy. The true strength of the man known as Salamander. The true strength of the man named Natsu Dragneel.

And when the bonfire finally stopped, he knew it wasn't because of exhaustion. In fact the pink-haired was brimming with magic power. But his eyes were closed, his breathing quick and uneven. He trembled, though it was barely discernable.

The man stood in silence, not straight and proud; rather he seemed to be collapsing. Adrenaline was the only thing that held him up. He said nothing as he showed the world his weakness. After his show of strength, he seemed to be in a state of death. Yet his air was still commanding. As if upon instinct, the Railt fled until only their master remained. But he too, soon turned and left, still shuddering from amazement, awe, inspiration, and fear. A deep, deep fear that coursed through his entire body. A fear that touched all corners of his body and soul. Simply, _fear._

* * *

><p>Again the two masters stood, facing each other. But this time, there was no hostile crowd surging about them. Even as they stared at each other, their gazes were cool, devoid of their previous temper. For a moment they nearly looked like friends. Nearly though. It was impossible to miss the tense muscles, clenched fists, and their wary postures. What if the other was to strike? Even with this so called peaceful meeting, there was uneasiness and anxiety. Not a single part of them was nonchalant. They were two beasts, circling each other, waiting for the signal to strike. But today, today, there would be no signal. Only tears as the two monsters caught a glimpse of what lay in their wake.<p>

Together, the approached the vast, proud doors of the great guild they had both once belonged to. Each pushing one of the double doors open, they entered without word. And they were greeted without a word.

It seemed as if the entire guild had gathered. But not a single one was joyful. Not a single one was not mourning. Not a single one looked up as the two entered. Not a single one had eyes not red from crying. Some even shed the droplets as the two entered, as silently as possible.

And the two passed, quietly through the guild. They knew where they were going, there was no need for them to be led or directed. It had once been their guild. And somewhere in their hearts as they walked through the guild, once so filled with laughter and fun, they felt a throb. For what would their life had been if they had each chosen to stay? What would they be to each other now? And it scared them to think about it. Because whenever they did, they began regretting, began thinking that perhaps that life would have been better. And it scared them to think of such a thing. Because the path they had trodden, they could not turn back on. There was only one way to go, but destruction lay all around them. And the only light in the darkness was that of the one behind them.

Silently they reached a closed door. And without conversing, Natsu reached out and grabbed the doorknob. Pushing the door open, it took all their strength to not instantly collapse. This place brought memories of their past. And what their future could have been. It reminded them of the place they longed for. And, ironically or not, it was by each other's sides.

Taking a seat the bed, the two gazed upon the frail old man. His breathing was now calm but his face was slightly contorted with pain. Natsu gazed down at his hands, water swimming in his eyes. But his eyes weren't visible to the raven haired. In fact, Gray stared only forlornly at the weak face of Makarov.

"Master…" he whispered silently to himself. Even though he was a master himself, not a single member of Fairy Tail believed anyone else but Makarov to be Master. They were all his children. And he was their master. It was a fact.

Makarov's eyes slid open slowly. For a moment, he gazed up at the ceiling before trying to sit up. A fit of coughing though caused Natsu and Gray to help prop Makarov up with a wall of pillows so he could see them both. Silence fell in the room. Natsu and Gray's heads were bent, tears running down one, the other twisted in an expression of pain.

"Natsu… Gray…" The two moved in unison as their names were uttered. Makarov was clutching at his sheets. His frame was trembling as tears were running down his face. "Natsu… Gray…" he repeated, his voice scratchy and hoarse but filled with emotion. Anger perhaps, elation as well, but more than anything, pure relief.

"Natsu, Gray… If I live to see another day, to see the sun rise again and its rays to shine into this room, I want to see my children united in the light," Makarov's voice dropped to a murmur. Taking the two's hands in each of his, Makarov continued, "As a parent, my only wish is to see my children, happy and together." His grip tightened on their hands and his breaths came shorter. But even as he fought the sickness, still trembling, his voice remained steady and strong, "And if I don't live… If I don't, I want to know, that my children are safe, their worries gone, their anguishes gone. But Natsu! Gray! More than anything… I want to know… that my family is a whole again." Makarov's grip tightened even more, his knuckles white. Coughs racked his small, frail frame.

Gray had clasped his hands together and his forehead rested against them. Natsu clutched at Makarov's hand, his eyes closed, jaw clenched. Tears flowed from both of their faces. Makarov's grip slowly relaxed as he murmured before drifting into a slumber, "I want to see my children's smiling faces in the sun." A small smile graced his features as he slept peacefully.

_Yet they come together_


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. And in case any of you guys are wonderin', I'm not going to reveal what happened to Happy (partially because I'm too lazy to think up of a good story for him) Please read and review!

As soon as Makarov had lost consciousness, Gray stood abruptly, his head bowed, hair shielding his eyes. He quickly exited the room, shoulders trembling as the tears continued down his face in silence. The guild watched as the proud master of Railt rushed out of the guild, his tears leaving small, dark splotches on the floor.

Turning into the nearest abandoned alleyway he found, Gray leaned against a brick wall and slid down until he was sitting. A quiet sob escaped him as he clasped his hands together, his knuckles turning white. "Master… Master… Master," he murmured to himself. "Master… What have I done?" Slowly separating his hands he stared at them, a stricken expression upon his face. His hands began to tremble as he continued speaking to himself, "What have I done? With these two hands I raised a guild… No… I raised a war." His left hand pressed against his bare chest where the symbol of his guild stood… where the symbol of Fairy Tail and once been. When he had once been a proud mage of Fairy Tail.

And suddenly, he remembered Erza kicking him out of the guild. The pain he had felt then, the expression on her face, rage, agony, sadness… he remembered it all so clearly. Gasping, his fingers dug into his skin, drawing blood. Symbol of his guild? Of Railt? It was nothing so honorable. It was a symbol of war and death. Of fighting and useless bloodshed. It was the symbol that had stolen him from Fairy Tail… No. It was the symbol he had abandoned Fairy Tail for.

And it wasn't just physical pain that throbbed through his chest.

* * *

><p>He was aware that Gray had left but Natsu stayed where he was. His hands were clenched in fists as water dripped onto them in a steady stream. Eventually they stopped but he still didn't move. No one bothered him, no one walked in, no one even so much as approached the door. And yet he remained motionless.<p>

The sun had begun to set, the room darkened until the only light illuminating the room was from the streetlamps outside. But even as the moon rose, casting its feeble light upon the world, Natsu remained still. He stared blankly down at his hands, still clasping Makarov's.

His eyes seemed dead. He didn't move, not even slightly. The only sign of life was the barely discernable rising of his back as he breathed. And he remained like so for the rest of the night.

Just as the sun was about to peek over the horizon, Natsu stood slowly from his position. Staring down forlornly at Makarov, he slowly trudged out, his footsteps light, and closed the door silently behind him. He left the guild without a word.

He hadn't been walking in any direction in particular, only wandering where his subconscious mind decided to lead him. He stopped abruptly as he found himself in front of a door. Staring at the door with still dead eyes, he quickly turned away. Breaking into a run, Natsu shut his eyes tightly as he spotted the cat head shaped sign. He knew the words on the other side and it made him run faster. "Natsu and Happy." Tears started flowing again. And for the first time since the tears had stopped the previous day, Natsu's face broke the dead expression, instead twisting in grief and anguish.

"Happy…" Choking on his tears, Natsu stumbled and fell. Catching himself with his hands, Natsu gasped for air, eyes squeezed shut again. Sitting back on his heels, he clutched desperately at his scarf. "Happy," he whimpered again, "I'm… sorry." Stumbling up, Natsu took off running again, his sandals slapping loudly against the cobblestone.

This time he found himself in front of his own guild. The tears disappeared instantly, evaporating into the air. Rage crossed his face within a second. His hands clenched into angry fists, fire already raging around them. His posture stiffened defensively as he glared menacingly at the sight that greeted him.

"Sorry, Happy," he muttered through gritted teeth, "That bastard doesn't seem like he's ready to 'get along' anytime soon."

* * *

><p>When he finally pulled himself from the abandoned alleyway, the sun had already begun to rise. Trudging back to Railt, he dug his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. For a brief moment he wondered where his shirt had disappeared to.<p>

He paused mid stride, as he stared at the pool of blood on the ground where he was about to place his foot. Calmly he took a few strides back and stared darkly at the blood soaked door of Railt. Scrawled crudely in blood over the symbol of his guild was the symbol of Fiarsin. Stepping over the pool of blood, Gray pushed the door to his guild open and stared around. Everyone had been knocked out and was bleeding. From a glance, he already knew at least ten were dead.

"Happy? Together?! Don't give me that shitty excuse for tears, NATSU!" Gray scoffed, his voice quiet but dripping with malicious intent.

_Unable to separate, unable to end_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note**

So last chapter! And it happens to be the shortest as well. Oh well. Please read and review! I don't own Fairy Tail.

"That _bastard_!" Natsu howled, snapping yet another table in half. "That… That!" Natsu struggled to find a suitable word while breaking yet another pillar. A string of profanities were shouted before turning into a pure howl of rage. He was trembling, his breathing ragged as fire licked around his entire body. The guild was already half demolished.

"Master," a small voice uttered, close, but not too close to the flames, "We're ready." The mage's face was a stone mask but anger was etched into every crevice. His eyes were dark with fury.

"Let's go!" Natsu shrieked, his voice still growing in volume. He charged out the door, breaking them down. The rest of his guild followed closely behind. The group shone with magic and fire. They had a single destination and all flowed together, completely as one towards a place they knew only too well.

They were stopped halfway to their destination by another mass of mages, equally powerful, equally angry. Stopping quickly, they spread out, hissing and growling profanities and taunts. Their actions were met similarly.

The volume increased as fire met ice, pink met raven, master met master, enemy met enemy. Their gazes were cool but each was burning with their own fire. No expression crossed their faces as they slowly approached each other.

They watched each other closely, appraising the other as they drew closer. Finally, their eyes met and they held each other's gaze as they closed the gap between them to mere centimeters.

A near silence fell over the crowd as the two stood before each other. The crowds jostled for a position at the front line, all the while watching the two masters expectantly. They shifted anxiously, almost irritated as Natsu and Gray stood motionless. Suddenly, a cry rang out.

They reacted in unison, their heads whipping towards the sound. But their vision was instantly masked by flailing limbs and spurts of magic as the two guilds leapt at each other. And then they were standing in the midst of Hell.

_Of course they wouldn't, _Gray thought quietly to himself. He laid a hand against his chest, _This is a guild of war, nothing more…Nothing more. _He turned to return his gaze to his enemy bitterly. He wasn't sure what expression he was wearing now, but it surprised Natsu.

_There's never been a time when I felt so betrayed,_ Natsu scoffed at himself, _never. _Glancing back at Gray, he froze, startled. His eyes took in the emotion splayed on Gray's face in an instant. Pain, grief, anger, regret. It matched the feelings running through his chest.

Glancing at the sky, Natsu listened as cries of pain rang out through the crowd. No doubt blood was staining his clothes. He thought about the peace that had once ruled over Magnolia. He remembered being in his old guild with Lucy, Erza, Makarov, Wendy, Gajeel, and… Happy. The name shot arrows through his chest.

Of course there had been more to Fiarsin than just to rival Railt. But now he really wondered if that was true. Was there really more behind this slaughter? This bloodshed? This war? Was there _really _more than needless fighting? Somehow he couldn't get himself to answer yes.

His fists trembled as he looked back at Gray. Gray. _Gray. _The name sent shivers of rage down his spine. But today… today was different. Even as he stared at the ice mage, there was no fire raging in him. Summoning fire to his fist seemed to take more energy than was usually necessary. His body felt heavy as he thought about slamming his fist against Gray.

Slowly lifting his right hand, the fire disappeared. Even as he extended his fist towards Gray, there was no power or speed behind it. The side of his fist connected with a quiet, dull thud right where the symbol of Railt stood. Scabs ran across and around the symbol.

Natsu's right arm brushed against Gray's chest as Natsu stared down at the ground. Glancing up slowly, he stared up at Gray from his slumped position.

"You forgot your shirt," he murmured quietly, the fist lying against Gray's chest tightening and trembling, "Stripper."

Gray stared at the ball of pink spikes in front of him. He laid his right hand on Natsu's head, feeling the spikiness of his hair for the first time. His fingers clenched into a fist, pulling gently on Natsu's head. Their eyes met and they fell still.

"Yeah… Flame-brain."

_Their battle of eternity._

* * *

><p><em>They fight, Flame and Ice.<em>

_Unable to understand their drastic other._

_Yet they come together_

_Unable to separate, unable to end_

_Their battle of eternity._


End file.
